What does online instruction look like?Your child will log into the online therapy room at their scheduled time. A special education professional will be ready in front of his/her computer remotely. This special education professional will be perfectly matched to support your child’s specific areas of need, and trained to engage him or her in meaningful instructional activities, which will also be fun and enjoyable. Additionally, special education professionals will support the educational team as needed.

Are therapy sessions really effective? In one word, yes! Online services are extremely effective. In fact, research studies show that special education services such as speech therapy and special education instruction help students make progress on IEP goals at the same rate as services delivered onsite. Our special education professionals are meticulously trained and provide the recipe for students’ success by combining compassion with out-of-the-box thinking. Their extensive experience combined with our training program and resource library of evidenced-based activities combine to make therapy and special education instruction fun, functional, and effective.

How do I know if my child is making progress?Our ongoing documentation and data analysis allow us to consistently measure our child’s progress. We believe that collaboration with parents and teachers is key to your child’s progress. There are ongoing discussions about your child's progress. We also follow up each session with a summary of what your child worked on, as well as additional suggestions for activities throughout the week. From the moment your child log on, we are continuously addressing therapy and instructional goals and monitoring progress, all of which can be accessed from your own personal login page on our online secure database.

What are the benefits of doing therapy online?There are many benefits to online therapy, which include:

What if my child does not want to participate in any of the activities?While we can’t say this never happens, it is a rare occurrence. Our children are growing up in a digital environment which is second nature for them. We promote participation by making sure activities provide “just the right challenge” and are on a topic that is both relevant to what they are learning and interesting. We also can weave in positive reinforcement through behavioral supports such as token economies and virtual stickers to support student engagement. Furthermore, we can control the online environment to promote each child’s success.

Are there individuals who are not good candidates for online therapy?Our primary goal is to set our students up for success, which means empowering them to grow and learn, both in session and on their own. We take each individual student’s abilities and needs into account when determining if online therapy is appropriate. Some students with the following challenges are often not good candidates for online direct therapy: severely impacted attention span (needing redirection every minute or less), significantly impacted cognitive skills, and severe physical challenges with motor abilities limiting access to a computer and necessitating hands-on therapy. There are also some students with the above challenges that have therapy needs that are more focused on consulting and training families on how to help their child. Our special education professionals can train a team and support progress on educational and therapeutic goals with these students by providing school and home programs. Contact us today to discuss if your students would benefit from our online therapy services. We want to help you make the right choice.

You say there is research that proves online therapy works. Can you tell me more about this research?There are over 50 research studies to date on the use of telepractice to deliver therapy and educational support services, with that number growing. This innovative field has gotten a lot of attention from the research community because the potential to help more families is so great. Online therapy services started over 9 years ago. Since then, research studies have shown progress on speech goals that are at least equal to in-person therapy. Also, case studies by special education professionals across the country have shown progress on goals in the areas related to occupational therapy. In the world of special education, many research studies support the use of computer-assisted instruction, making online delivery of specialized academic

Research is fine, but is there other evidence? The best evidence is your own research. Your own intuition. Click here to find out more and schedule a free consultation session.

How are you different from other online service providers?It is our combination of passion, compassion and experience that has always set us apart from our competitors. Our team embraces a passion to always do what is educationally "right" for each students, while showing compassion for our students and their struggles. Combine this with our well-established experience in the “science” of therapy and online instruction and we believe you will find us uniquely qualified to handle your special education needs. WebWise Therapy Services offers comprehensive, multi-disciplinary services in order to support continuity of care. We also work hard to support our team with ongoing continuing education in order to make sure that we are at the forefront of this exciting path of hope and progress. WebWise Therapy Services is not about trying to replace in-person services, but to make quality support available to more children. We will always do what’s best for your child, helping you to choose the appropriate option for your family.

What kind of technology do I need to get started?We use an external wide angle webcam and headphones with a microphone to support quality interaction with your special education professionals. For your convenience, we buy and ship the equipment directly to your family or child’s school, depending on where services will be taking place. If services are being provided as a part of your child’s IEP, we will bill the school at cost to ensure to that services start as quickly as possible. Computers are required to have the latest version of a web browser downloaded on to the computer. Jigsaw Meeting will do a complete system check of your computer with our “Test Your PC Before The Meeting” tool. It will identify what hardware you have, whether you are running the latest version of critical programs such as Adobe® Flash® 11.1 Player. It will also identify whether your Internet connection is fast enough to enable smooth graphic, 3DS models, animation, and video encoders/streaming videos without delays and choppiness. Our system will prompt you to download software upgrades and will allow you to test your computer’s video/audio capabilities.

Is there anything else I need? Supplies? While our team already has many of the visuals and therapy activities embedded in the online platform, it will be helpful to have a pencil and paper in close proximity. On occasion a parent or paraprofessional will be asked to print a document ahead of time. We also use items that are commonly found around the classroom or house. For counseling and special education, additional supplies are rarely needed. For speech, occupational, and physical therapy, we supply you with a therapy kit that will facilitate progress on foundational skills.

Do you conduct assessments?The best assessment addresses your family’s concerns and identifies your child’s needs. Our aim is to learn more about your child in order to facilitate progress. We do not complete formal, standardized assessments online because we recognize that comprehensive and valid findings are integral to treatment planning and students success. We believe this is the gold standard for evaluations. We can work with your family, and any in person special education professionals, to meet the needs of each students. If necessary, our special education professionals may also be available to travel to complete assessments.

How are services aligned with the classroom curriculum?Our teachers and special education professionals are trained on state and national standards including the Common Core Standards. Ultimately, our team wants to be a collaborative part of your team. This means asking the right questions and taking the time to learn about how each student’s challenges are impacting his or her academic progress. We want to learn about what curriculum your program is using and align our services to support current lessons and assignments as appropriate.

Does online therapy comply with industry requirements?Yes, ASHA was one of the first governing agencies to affirm the use of online therapy services to provide therapy. Since then, AOTA and APTA have also recognized the use of the online delivery model. Special Education students are guaranteed, under IDEA, the right to equal access to education. Online instruction complies with industry requirements and helps schools stay in compliance.

Are sessions monitored for quality?Yes, our leadership team supports each of our therapists and teachers by observing sessions periodically. This ensures the best quality of instruction for our students and also helps our team to continue to grow and learn. Privacy is respected and families will always be asked if they are comfortable with another special education professional observing. WebWise Therapy Services also encourages collaboration and ongoing feedback to ensure every student’s progress.

How is privacy and confidentiality ensured?Our online platform is a secure platform that complies with established FERPA guidelines. Our team is licensed and credentialed and goes through an extensive background check.

How does payment work? Typically, therapy services are funded by private pay or through the school (as determined by the IEP and contract with the school). In the event your school does not have a therapist to address the services in your child’s IEP, we offer a solution they might consider. Call us to find out more.